Treatments to Resume in Virginia for Spotted Lanternfly
Contact: Elaine Lidholm, VDACS, 804.786.7686
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced today that treatments for Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) will resume in Winchester and Frederick County. Treatments will begin in early May. Property owners will be contacted prior to the treatments and must give approval for the treatments to take place on their property. To find out if your property is included in the proposed treatment area, email VDACS at spottedlanternfly@vdacs.virginia.gov
Spotted Lanternfly feeds on more than 70 plant species, including grapes, stone fruits, hops and Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven), its preferred host. It poses a threat to Virginia’s peach, apple, grape and wine industries. Spotted Lanternfly can also be a nuisance pest to homeowners when numbers are high.
VDACS detected the Spotted Lanternfly in January of 2018. Prior to the January 2018 detection, the only Spotted Lanternfly found in the U.S. was in Pennsylvania. Populations of Spotted Lanternfly can be found now in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia. In Virginia, Spotted Lanternfly is current
ly located in the city of Winchester and in Frederick County, north of Winchester.
For more information on Spotted Lanternfly in Virginia, go to http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov//plant-industry-services.shtml Landowners may also contact their local extension office at https://ext.vt.edu/offices.html or visit https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/commercial-horticulture/spotted-lanternfly.html for information, including identification and control recommendations for Spotted Lanternfly.
If property owners find Spotted Lanternfly on their property, they should notify VDACS at spottedlanternfly@vdacs.virginia.gov or Virginia Cooperative Extension at https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/commercial-horticulture/spotted-lanternfly.html .